Pallets for grocery and consumer goods
Grocery runs on the 48 × 40 in pallet: GMA-style stringer pallets or pooled block pallets (CHEP, PECO, iGPS plastic). Retailers set the rules in vendor guides: footprint, entry, condition, height, weight and labels, and some accept pooled pallets only. Check each retailer's current guide.
- Type
- Wood stringer
- Footprint
- 48.00 × 40.00 in
- Height
- 4.75 in
- Lumber
- 13.5 bd ft
- Est. weight
- 59 lb (27 kg)
- Fasteners
- 84
Every dimension is editable. Get the drawing free, or request a quote.
Grocery and consumer packaged goods (CPG) set the North American pallet standard. The 48 × 40 in footprint exists because the grocery industry agreed on it, and retail distribution centers, racking, trailers and store backrooms are all built around it. If you ship into grocery, the pallet is not a design choice so much as an entry ticket, and the retailer writes the rules.
Which pallets does grocery use?
| Pallet | Size | Why it is used |
|---|---|---|
| GMA-style stringer pallet (white wood, new or recycled) | 48 × 40 in | Cheapest option, accepted by many DCs, partial four-way entry |
| Pooled wood block pallet (CHEP, PECO) | 48 × 40 in | Full four-way entry, managed quality, no pallet to buy or recover |
| Pooled plastic pallet (iGPS) | 48 × 40 in | Light (about 50 lb, per iGPS), consistent, RFID; iGPS states it is edge rackable to 2,800 lb and UL 2335 listed |
| Half pallet and display pallets | 48 × 20 and 24 × 20 in | Floor displays in club and mass retail |
| 1200 × 800 / 1200 × 1000 mm (Europe) | Metric | European grocery (EPAL exchange) |
The GMA pallet has three notched stringers, seven top and five bottom deckboards, 5-1/2 in lead boards and 3-1/2 in interior boards. See the 48 × 40 pallet page for dimensions and truckload counts.
Retailer programs
Every large retailer publishes a vendor or shipping guide, and pallet rules are in it. Common elements:
| Requirement | Typical form | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Footprint | 48 × 40 in, 48 in side as length | Racking and conveyors |
| Entry | Four-way, or partial four-way acceptable | Pallet jacks and forklifts in DCs and stores |
| Pallet type | White wood, pooled, or pooled only | Retailer's pallet management |
| Condition | No broken or missing boards, protruding nails, contamination | Safety and product damage |
| Load height and weight | Retailer-specific maximums | Rack openings, trailer cube, store handling |
| Overhang | None, or tightly limited | Rack and conveyor clearance, product damage |
| Labels | GS1 SSCC pallet label, placement rules | Receiving and advance ship notices |
Examples we have checked against source documents: Costco requires pooled block pallets and accepts purpose-built pallets only by exception with a PDS report, wants ISPM 15 marks on both long sides where applicable, and sets moisture content under 19% for containerized shipments. Home Depot accepts a PDS report or an ASTM D1185 test for new pallet designs. See Costco, Walmart, Home Depot and Amazon requirements. Vendor guides change; check the current version before each program starts.
Pooled or white wood?
| Pooled (CHEP, PECO, iGPS) | White wood (buy and lose) | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost model | Issue fee and daily or trip fees (roughly $5 to $15 per trip is a common 2026 US estimate) | Purchase price, about $10 to $25 for a new GMA-style pallet (2026 US estimate, moves with lumber prices), less for recycled |
| Quality | Managed by the pool | Varies by supplier; specify it |
| Retailer acceptance | Accepted almost everywhere; required by some | Accepted by many, not all |
| Admin | Transfer reporting, pallet accounting | None after shipping |
See pooled vs white wood, pallet pooling, CHEP pallets and PECO pallets.
Typical loads and weights
Grocery loads are mostly cased goods with good load bridging: cartons spread weight across the deck. Typical gross weights range from under 1,000 lb for snacks and paper goods to 2,000 to 3,000 lb for canned goods and beverages (estimates; check your own Ti-Hi). Loads are often double-stacked in trailers and racked in DCs, so racking and stacking strength matter more than the average weight suggests. See cases per pallet and pallet load capacity.
Common pitfalls
- Wrong orientation. Racking and conveyors are set up for one entry direction. Load and label so the pallet enters the way the DC expects.
- Two-way pallets. An unnotched stringer pallet cannot be forked from the side, and many DCs require at least partial four-way entry.
- Overhang. Cases hanging past the deck edge get crushed in racking and trailers.
- Low-grade recycled pallets. Broken lead boards and protruding nails are common reasons for refused pallets.
- Mixing pool pallets. Shipping a CHEP pallet to a customer that does not participate in CHEP creates lost-pallet charges.
- Labels under the wrap. SSCC labels must usually be scannable on the outside; see pallet labels.
Spec checklist for a quote
- Footprint 48 × 40 in, length along the stringers, partial four-way (notched) or block four-way
- New, recycled Grade A, or combo; or pooled pallets (name the pool)
- Top deck: 7 boards, lead board width; bottom deck: 5 boards; deck thickness
- Stringers or blocks: species group, size
- Racking requirement: across the width or length, beam span, maximum load
- Stacking: floor-stack height, trailer double-stack
- Moisture content maximum (for example, under 19% if containerized)
- ISPM 15 HT if any lanes cross borders (Mexico, overseas)
- Retailer program(s) and vendor guide version
- Annual quantity, delivery cadence, delivery locations
The GMA 48 × 40 template is a starting point you can change to match your retailer's rules.
Frequently asked questions
What pallet size do grocery retailers use?
48 × 40 in (1219 × 1016 mm) in the US and Canada. The size was standardized by the grocery industry and is also one of the six ISO 6780 sizes.
Do I have to use CHEP or PECO pallets for grocery?
It depends on the retailer and the distribution center. Some require pooled pallets (Costco requires pooled block pallets and accepts other pallets only by exception); others accept white-wood GMA pallets in good condition. The retailer's current vendor guide is the authority.
What is a GMA pallet?
The 48 × 40 in stringer pallet specified by the former Grocery Manufacturers Association: three notched stringers (partial four-way entry), seven top and five bottom deckboards. "GMA" is now used loosely for any 48 × 40 stringer pallet of that layout.
Can I ship grocery loads on recycled pallets?
Often yes, if the retailer accepts white-wood pallets. Many specify Grade A (#1) condition: no broken boards, protruding nails or missing components. Some categories and retailers require new or pooled pallets.
Sources and references
Related
- TypesGMA pallet: 48 × 40 in dimensions, construction, weight and gradesA GMA pallet is a 48 × 40 in (1219 × 1016 mm) wooden stringer pallet built to the grocery industry's standard: three notched stringers for partial 4-way entry, seven top and five bottom deckboards, and an overall height of about 4-3/4 in (121 mm) in the standard build. It is the most common pallet in the United States.
- Sizes48 × 40 pallet (GMA): dimensions, weight and specsA 48 × 40 in pallet (1219 × 1016 mm) is the North American standard, also called the GMA pallet. The typical build is a partial 4-way stringer pallet about 4.75 in tall with 7 top and 5 bottom deckboards on 3 notched stringers. Pooled 48 × 40 block pallets (CHEP, PECO) share the same footprint.
- GuidesPallet pooling: how CHEP, PECO and iGPS rental worksPallet pooling is renting pallets instead of buying them. A pooler such as CHEP (blue), PECO (red) or iGPS (plastic) owns standard 48 × 40 in pallets, issues them to shippers, collects them from receivers, then inspects, repairs and reissues them. You pay fees per use, not a purchase price.
- GuidesCostco pallet requirements: pooled block pallets and purpose-built exceptionsCostco requires iGPS, PECO or CHEP block pallets throughout North America and refuses GMA/Grade A stringer, CHEP stringer, CHEP Euro and corrugated pallets. Purpose-built pallets need advance approval per item; Costco's published supplement requires them to be designed with PDS.
- GuidesWalmart pallet requirements: supplier DCs and Walmart Fulfillment ServicesWalmart's supplier standards require 48 × 40 in (1219 × 1016 mm) four-way Grade A pallets: stringer pallets with 7 top and 5 bottom boards on 3 stringers (2,100 lb loaded), 9-block pallets (2,800 lb) or approved pooled pallets. Loads max 96 in (244 cm), no overhang. WFS has its own rules.
- TypesDisplay pallets: half (48 × 20) and quarter (24 × 20) palletsA display pallet is a small pallet that carries product straight onto a store floor as a ready-made display. North American sizes are the 48 × 20 in (1219 × 508 mm) half pallet and 24 × 20 in (610 × 508 mm) quarter pallet; in Europe, the 800 × 600 mm EPAL 6. Retailers set their own rules.
- GuidesPallet labels and SSCC-18: the GS1 logistic label explainedAn SSCC (Serial Shipping Container Code) is an 18-digit GS1 number that identifies one logistic unit, such as a pallet, for its whole journey. It is printed as a GS1-128 barcode with Application Identifier (00). GS1 puts pallet barcodes 400 to 800 mm (16 to 32 in) above the base, on two adjacent sides.
- IndustriesPallets for food and beverage manufacturingFood companies run two pallet systems: hygienic plastic or aluminum inside wet and open-product areas, and 48 × 40 in wood or pooled pallets for cased goods. The FDA Sanitary Transportation rule requires suitable, cleanable, sanitary pallets but does not mandate a material.
More in Industries
- IndustriesPallets for pharmaceutical and healthcare productsPharmaceutical plants keep wood out of cleanrooms and GMP areas and use hygienic plastic (closed deck, washable) or aluminum there. Finished goods ship on 48 × 40 in or 1200 × 800 mm wood or plastic pallets to meet distribution, cold-chain and customer rules. The quality system, not a law, sets the material.
- IndustriesPallets for the chemical and plastics industryChemical loads (drums, pails, IBCs and 25 kg bags) need heavier, tighter-decked pallets than grocery. Europe uses the CP1 to CP9 block pallets; North America uses 48 × 48 in drum pallets, 42 × 42 and 44 × 44 in sizes and heavy 48 × 40s. Deck gaps and load type matter as much as weight.
- IndustriesPallets for the automotive industryAutomotive supply chains run on returnable plastic pallets, bulk containers and steel racks that cycle between suppliers and plants. OEM packaging guidelines set the footprints; 48 × 45 in is a common automotive size in North America. One-way wood pallets and ISPM 15 crates cover service parts and export.
- IndustriesPallets for beverages: water, soft drinks, beer and spiritsA pallet of bottled water commonly weighs 2,100 to 2,500 lb, and canned drinks and beer 1,500 to 2,200 lb. Most North American beverage loads ship on 48 × 40 in pooled or GMA-style pallets, plus 48 × 20 in half pallets for store delivery. Stiff decks, tier sheets and good wrap prevent crushed loads.
- IndustriesPallets for dairy: milk, cheese, butter and dairy ingredientsDairy uses 40 × 40 in pallets, the size traditionally linked to dairy in North America, and 48 × 40 in pallets for retail DCs. Plants are cold, wet and washed down, so plastic is common inside and wood must arrive dry. Much fluid milk moves in stacked crates on dollies or pallets.
- IndustriesPallets for fresh produceFresh produce ships mainly on 48 × 40 in pallets in North America, many of them pooled block pallets. Pallets must survive wet cooling, cold storage and long reefer hauls and let cold air flow through the load. Imported produce, including from Mexico, needs ISPM 15 treated and marked wood pallets.
Last reviewed 2026-09-24. 902 words.